A CRITIQUE OF AT RISK PRESSURE SORE ASSESSMENT TOOLS

This paper critiques pressure sore risk assessment tools. No attempt i s made to describe individual tools in detail as this literature is av ailable elsewhere. The economic case for risk assessment is presented along with the criteria for an effective risk assessment instrument. R eliability and validity studies are reviewed in relation to three risk assessment tools: Norton, Waterlow and Braden. Finally a number of is sues related to threshold scores, research design and the need to view pressure scores as a clinical problem rather than a nursing problem a re discussed.